Love

September 26, 2009

As I sit on my floor circled around me is Crayons, Colored Pencils, Stickers, Glue, Books, Pencils, Pencils and MORE Pencils, Paint, Scissors, and Education Material: I think to myself “I AM My Mother's Daughter.”

My spare bedroom, WAS filled with boxes of supplies, unorganized birthday party supplies, crafts, bags of crafts, boxes, etc. It was too unorganized for me. While in town I picked up two baskets and began to organize, sort, label, and place! I can actually see the school and craft supplies I have. Just now, I put together my first package to bring to my school filled with pencils, crayons, folders, pens, and erasers. Inspiration came while going through the crafts I have and ideals for Monday Craft Class have developed!

I am not writing this to tell all of you, my crafts supplies are organized or that I like to control things in my life and I do that through being crazy organized with things. But rather as I was surrounded around my craft supplies, books, school supplies, etc, it was more then just ‘Things,’ it was LOVE! The love of my family and friends surrounded me in the ways of Glitter (which is all over my leg right now), glue, COLORS, and Stickers!

I just now found a note my mom had placed in a box that was filled with about 100 Pencils, it read “Only Because I Love You and Your Dominican Students would I do this for you (Sharpen ALL the pencils for me which is an AMAZING help)! That right there is LOVE, it is love for individuals that you all have only met through pictures, my stories, my blog.

Another thought came to mind while I was surrounded with all of that LOVE. My senior year of college, I interned at an agency called ‘Everyone Women Place.’ It was a domestic violence shelter in Muskegon. There is one day that I will never forget, it is when I was in the downstairs lobby with the Volunteer Coordinator (she reminds me of my Mother and what I would be like when I am 50 years old). We were chatting about volunteering and donating items. Some individuals are hesitate at times to give or donate if you do not have a direct contact that you feel confident in. As the positive soulful individuals we (My self and the volunteer coordinator) are, we came to the conclusion that EVERYONE wants to give and donate what they can, they just need a trusted avenue or individual to go through. Everyone’s heart disirers and needs to give back in their own special way.

Ladies and Gentlemen, you prove our conclusion correct. Honestly, when the school year finished in Dominica, I left feeling a little stressed and overwhelmed with the lack of supplies I had for the reading/math programs, arts and crafts, etc. Now, I am sitting here still feeling overwhelmed but for a much different reason. Now I am overwhelmed with all of these supplies and trying to find the best way to give them out in the most useful structure. I prefer this overwhelmed much more. The day I sent out the e-mail asking for books, I was not sure of the response. But how dare I question the souls of my family and friends. If you ask, you shall receive, if God Willing! Man did I receive!

The overwhelming Love and Support that was shown through the act of school and arts supplies is breathtaking. I wish that each and every one of you could sit with as I place a sticker on a child's homework assignment or the collar of their shirt when they complete the tutoring session or the moment I busted out the ‘Spiderman’ Math Cards.

Thank you for allowing me to be your avenue of donation! A billion Thank Yous could NEVER be enough to truly show how grateful I am. Thank you for the trust you have put in me. Most importantly, THANK YOU for LOVING ON my Dominican children!!